The story of Willi Smith, the designer who invented streetwear

The story of Willi Smith, the designer who invented streetwear

Andrea Tuzio · 3 years ago · Style

He influenced a generation, he was the designer who brought street aesthetics on the catwalk after having determined its canons by inventing street couture and the concept of streetwear, certainly the most important black designer of the 80s.
Today we tell you the story, unfortunately forgotten, of Willi Smith, one of the most influential African-American designers in the history of contemporary fashion.

Alexandra Cunningham Cameron, curator of the “Willi Smith: Street Couture” exhibition at the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum in New York, said: “The lack of scholarship on Willi Smith created a missing link in our understanding of contemporary fashion and visual culture”

In her life and with her work she challenged the racism and classism deeply rooted in the fashion world through clothing that was accessible to all and gender neutral, her creations were meant for anyone who wanted to wear them: “Fashion is a thing made for people and designers should remember that. Models pose in clothes. People live in them”.

Read also: The history and legacy of Patrick Kelly

Willi Donnell Smith was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1949 to Willie Lee Smith, an ironworker, and June Eileen Smith, a homemaker, both of whom had a particular penchant for fashion.

Little Willi immediately showed a propensity for drawing and as a boy, he spent hours drawing while sitting on the floor of his house: “I loved drawing and designing clothes, my mother told me that I was born to be an artist or a designer”. He attended Mastbaum Technical High School for Design and then the Philadelphia Museum College of Art, where he took a course in fashion illustration. After his parents’ divorce, his grandmother Gladys Bush – a fundamental figure in Willi’s life and career – took care of him and encouraged him to continue studying and following his dream of becoming a designer.

He moved to New York to attend, thanks to two scholarships received, the Parsons The New School for Design. In 1965, thanks to his grandmother Gladys who was the housekeeper of a family very close to the designer of the First Ladies, Arnold Scaasi, Willi was able to obtain an internship with the Canadian couturier while also attending a Liberal Arts course at New York University.

In 1967 he left Parsons and began his design career drawing inspiration from what people were wearing on the streets of New York.

From 1969 to 1973 he worked as lead designer for the sportswear brand Digits and hired as his assistant Laurie Mallet – who would become his partner in the future – met in New York while she was in town for a vacation.
The experience, however, has an abrupt end, the company goes bankrupt and closes its doors.

The following year he founded his first label, Willi Smith Designs, Inc., together with his sister Toukie and his friend Harrison Rivera-Terreaux, but due to unfamiliarity with the commercial management of a brand, the adventure lasted only 8 months.

In 1976 he undertook the journey that changed his life. Together with Mallet he went to Mumbai and there he created a small collection of women’s clothing in natural fibres, partly inspired by Indian police uniforms.
That was the turning point, the collection was an unexpected success and shortly after, the two founded the brand WilliWear Ltd.

The brand immediately gained public acclaim, thanks to a collection, that of 1978, influenced by nautical uniforms and Southeast Asian clothing clearly ahead of its time, mixed a relaxed fit typical of sportswear – a legacy of his experience at Digits – with sartorial elements of the highest level: the street couture.

“He mixed workwear, military wear, African and Indian prints. He was in love with denim and the idea of the romantic cowboy, often incorporating tweed, denim or corduroy into his collection. He loved overalls and the utilitarian aspects of the silhouette”, fashion historian Darnell-Jamal Lisby said.

The pinnacle was reached in 1986, when the company’s revenues broke through the $25 million ceiling, an incredible figure.

On April 16th, 1987, however, Willi Smith was admitted to Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York City after contracting a Shigella infection and pneumonia during a trip to India to buy tissues. His condition worsened drastically due to AIDS, which Smith apparently did not know he had contracted, and he died the next day, leaving an unbridgeable void. The funeral was held on April 20 at the Frank E. Campbell Funeral Chapel in Manhattan, after which his remains were cremated.

Smith, African American and openly gay, managed to emerge in the New York context of the 80s thanks to his interdisciplinary approach to fashion.
He was an all-round artist and patron: in 1984 he involved 21 artists to create t-shirts with silkscreened artwork, these t-shirts reproduced original works by artists such as Keith Haring, Christo, Barbara Kruger, Dan Friedman and many others. The project was part of the “WilliWear Productions Made in New York” collection that was presented with a video, “Made in New York”, directed by Los Levine, the first short film project to showcase a collection to the public. A combination of art, fashion and cinema that reflects what today is a trend followed by the most important fashion houses in the world also because of the impossibility of organizing the classic fashion shows in presence due to the pandemic that upset the customs of the fashion system.

He has made costumes for theater and film, collaborated with Spike Lee, and designed the wedding dress worn by Mary Jane Watson when she married Peter Parker in Amazing Spider-Man Annual #21, in 1987. Smith also designed uniforms for workers in Jeanne-Claude and Christo’s 1983 installation Surrounded Islands as well as for Pont Neuf Wrapped (1985) in Paris.

The New York Daily News called him “the most successful black designer in the history of fashion”, a precursor and a forerunner of the times who created a defined and extremely contemporary style and bequeathed us the concept of streetwear, which is now the dominant theme of contemporary fashion.

The story of Willi Smith, the designer who invented streetwear
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The story of Willi Smith, the designer who invented streetwear
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What You Can Buy at Alcova Design Shop

What You Can Buy at Alcova Design Shop

Giorgia Massari · 2 days ago · Design

We’ve already talked to you about Alcova, the leading platform in innovative design that recorded a very high number of visitors during Milan Design Week. Their focus on emerging talents and, more broadly, on collectible design is amplified with the launch of an online shop on their website. This is a platform entirely dedicated to collectible design, offering a selection of works created by established and emerging designers. In addition to the e-commerce aspect, Alcova is opening a Project Space in Milan, set to become the reference point for the online shop through physical exhibitions. Let’s discover more about the most interesting design pieces on the platform, from the more affordable ones to the more expensive ones.

While browsing the platform, it’s easy to come across the works of designers we’ve already had the chance to see at Ex Macello, such as Laurids Gallée and Stefania Ruggiero, but also designers we’ve previously discussed, such as Côme Clérino. What is surprising – in addition to the refinement and careful craftsmanship of the objects – is the prices. Starting from less than a hundred euros and going up to higher prices, you can purchase a unique item while supporting both emerging and non-emerging design, which is increasingly oriented towards the future. In this way, Alcova reinforces its commitment to sustainability and, at the same time, its position within the international market, with plans to expand to Miami in December 2023.

Stefania Ruggiero, Swamp carpet – 3.175€
What You Can Buy at Alcova Design Shop
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What You Can Buy at Alcova Design Shop
What You Can Buy at Alcova Design Shop
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Ambiguous design in the Church of Parabiago

Ambiguous design in the Church of Parabiago

Giorgia Massari · 1 day ago · Design

Increasingly, art in all its forms is coming into contact with historical and sacred places such as former churches, former convents or archaeological sites. The dialogue between contemporary and ancient, as well as the contrast between secular and religious, are increasingly proving their scenic and communicative power. Curators and gallery owners are looking for evocative and magical places with the intention of developing new languages but not only. In this sense, the factor of redevelopment of the historical and cultural heritage comes into play. Art is in the first place in proposing new uses of these often closed and unused places. We have already talked in the past about the exhibition at the deconsecrated church in Corvetto during Milan Design Week, while today we want to tell you about a new contemporary design exhibition in the historic Church of Sant’Ambrogio della Vittoria in Parabiago (Milan) organized by FORO Studio and BeAlpha. Let’s find out more about the project and the emerging designers involved.

Antìtesi: the title and the location

The exhibition is titled Antìtesi and will run from Sept. 30 to Oct. 8, 2023, presenting the public with a selection of design works inspired by the rhetorical figure of antithesis. In this sense, designers are invited to reason about the contrast between two opposing entities, aiming to stimulate a strong emotional impact. The location is a fundamental part of the experience. The Church of Sant’Ambrogio della Vittoria is a place steeped in history and legends. Its construction was inspired by Luchino Visconti’s legendary victory over the rebellion led by Lodrisio, thanks to the divine intervention of St. Ambrose. This sacred place was declared a national monument in 1913 and has recently begun a process of restoration and reuse thanks to the association “La Fabbrica di Sant’Ambrogio.”

Jonathan Bocca

The exhibited designers

Within this historical context with a religious aura, the Antithesis exhibition presents a selection of contemporary design curated by FORO Studio. This shortlist includes a variety of designers, artists and makers from around the world, each with their own interpretation of antithesis in design. Participants include names such as AGA/Sign, Alice Crepaldi (whom we have already told you about here), Andreas Palfinger, Jonathan Bocca (you can also read about him here), and many others, each of whom has contributed unique and ambiguous projects that stimulate deep reflections.

Aga Sign

FORO Studio said, “Confrontation with the powerful rhetorical figure of antithesis has led us to learn about the multiple approaches of the participants who have unveiled projects that are intentionally ambiguous and thus capable of stimulating deep reflection. The art of design will be our contradictory voice, teaching us to understand and appreciate the harmonious dualism between opposing concepts, where contrast and harmony live on through the creative act.”

Sonia Gasparini

How to buy the exhibition’s objects

Another fascinating aspect of the exhibition is the partnership with Nonahora, an online curated-shop offering a selection of unique and sought-after items. Visitors will have the opportunity to purchase items in the exhibition directly from nonahora.com, guaranteeing the quality and authenticity of each piece.

 
 
 
 
 
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Lake Como Design Festival: Everything You Need to Know

Lake Como Design Festival: Everything You Need to Know

Giorgia Massari · 2 weeks ago · Design

Naturalis Historia is the title of this year’s Lake Como Design Festival, now in its fifth edition. Opening last weekend and concluding on Sunday, September 24, this year’s Festival again offers a rich program of exhibitions and events, but we have selected four not to be missed.
For those who are not familiar with it, the Lake Como Design Festival is an initiative of Wonderlake Como that every year aims to organize exhibitions and moments of reflection within historical places of the city, with the goal of promoting and sharing the artistic and cultural heritage of the city through what is the most democratic language of all, design. In fact, we are not only talking about design but also about art. In fact, the exhibitions we will be proposing swing on the thin line that divides, and sometimes unites, design from art.

Villa Olmo, ph Robert Mawdsley

This year’s subject

As we anticipated, this year’s subject is Naturalis Historia. Rereading these two Latin words, they do not sound so new. They are in fact the work of Pliny the Elder, after whom, by the way, the square overlooked by the Palazzo del Broletto, our first stop, is named. The Lake Como Design Festival chooses to pay homage to and be inspired by the writer and naturalist who was born in Como precisely two thousand years ago. The Festival’s title refers to the first encyclopedia ever written that encompasses under the same container a veritable cataloging of the animal, human and botanical worlds, through medicine, mineralogy, metalworking and art history. What is surprising about Naturalis Historia is the incredible contemporaneity of the writings, with their lively and curious writing. Thus, stage by stage, this ancient writing accompanies visitors to discover works of art and design objects conceived from careful research into the natural world.

#1 Palazzo del Broletto, The Other Animals

We start from the cathedral square, going up to the beautiful hall of Palazzo del Broletto. On the upper floor is The Other Animals exhibition, which among all is the one that best renders the concept inherent in the Plinian encyclopedia. In particular, the exhibition focuses on the volumes devoted to Zoology. Curators Lorenzo Butti and Massimiliano Mondelli have selected sixty descriptions of animals, and for each of them they have chosen a work or design object to place in dialogue. Extremely contemporary creations find themselves communicating with such ancient writing that, paradoxically, appears very current. One example is the dialogue between Andreas Kowalewski‘s work Olifant with Pliny the Elder’s description in which we read, “The greatest among animals is the elephant, and it is also the closest to man’s sensibility: it understands the language of the place where it was born and obeys commands; it is capable of remembering exercises; it feels desire for love and glory.”
The variety of the selection is astounding, especially when one notices that alongside a piece by Ettore Sottsass one can find works by young and emerging artists such as Lucrezia Costa and Ilaria Cuccagna, who, by the way, have recently finished an exhibition at the nearby Ramo Gallery.

Olifant, Andreas Kowalewski, courtesy of Caussa – The Other Animals, Palazzo del Broletto – installation view, ph Robert Mawdsley
Lucrezia Costa, The Other Animals, Palazzo del Broletto – Installation View

#2 San Pietro in Atrio, Stories of Fabrics

The second stop is San Pietro in Atrio, which is a few hundred meters from the Palazzo del Broletto. Inside this magnificent location, which is open to the public on the occasion of the Festival, there is a selection of national and international designers working in textiles with a strong experimental bent. The exhibition, titled Stories of Fabrics, sees an evocative layout with special care devoted to lighting. Among the various designers, what strikes us is the installation by the duo Milla Novo, whose bright colors create a strong contrast with the darkness of the environment.

 
 
 
 
 
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Stories of Fabrics, San Pietro in Atrio – installation view, ph Robert Mawdsley

#3 Villa Salazar, Contemporary Design Selection

Moving toward the lakefront we arrive at Villa Salazar, an 18th-century villa open to the public for the first time. Inside the magnificent rooms is housed the Contemporary Design Selection exhibition, curated by Giovanna Massoni in collaboration with Catawiki. The exhibition encompasses the work of thirty-five designers from different parts of the world, ranging from industrial design to site-specific installations and craftsmanship.

Contemporary Design Selection, Villa Salazar – installation view Jonathan Bocca – ph Robert Mawdsley

#4 Villa Olmo, Back to Nature

Our journey concludes at Villa Olmo with the Back to Nature exhibition. The event brings together designers, artists, publishers and galleries of modern and contemporary design. Various special projects take place in the different rooms of the villa, known as one of the main symbols of Como and one of the most famous historical residences in the area.

As soon as one crosses the entrance of Villa Olmo, one is confronted with Kris Rhus’s evocative floral installation The Second Song – Falling to Earth that leaves one breathless. Continuing through the various rooms of the villa we find, among others, the ETEL presentation by Brazilian architect and designer Oscar Niemeyer, the Ken Scott Archive’s exploration of the famous designer’s passion for botany through photographs and archival materials, and Grieder Contemporary gallery’s Mumo Forest exhibition featuring glass sculptures by Austrian artist Melli Ink. In the music room, the last one following the exhibition route, Movimento Club returns, which never fails in terms of staging and experimentation. With an exploration of unconventional perspectives on beauty and nature, The blue flower exhibition aims to be a rarity, like a blue flower – symbol of Romantic literature – emerging with wonder from the classic green landscape.

Back to Nature, Villa Olmo – installation view installazione floreale di Kris Rhus , ph Robert Mawdsley
Villa Olmo – Sala della Musica, Movimento Club Installation view
Back to Nature, Villa Olmo – installation view Mumo Forest di Melli Ink, ph Robert Mawdsley
Una collaborazione tra Draga & Aurel, Giuliano dell’Uva e Galleria Rossana Orlandi

Don’t miss the Lake Como Design Festival 2023 and other stops:
– Former Ursuline Convent San Carlo, Between Art and Nature
– White House, FENIX with the installation When Nature Blooms
– Ramo Gallery, De Curiositas
Find out all the others and more info at the dedicated website

Lake Como Design Festival: Everything You Need to Know
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Lake Como Design Festival: Everything You Need to Know
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The rugs are back

The rugs are back

Giorgia Massari · 3 weeks ago · Design

Have you noticed that everyone seems to be going crazy about rugs lately? Until a few years ago, the minimalist aesthetic had almost managed to ‘get rid of them’, yet in recent years they seem to have come back stronger than ever. The colourful and eccentrically shaped carpet, often circular and soft, is definitely a must-have for the home. Already a few months ago, we told you about the surrealist and liquid rugs of the South Korean brand SAY TOUCHÉ, which stand out for their drippy and hypnotic shapes. In particular, however, it is the spread of the tufting technique – and the birth of various amateur courses on the subject – that is fuelling this trend.

This trend also emerges from Paris Design Week, currently running until 16 September. Doing some research and keeping an eye on the Maison&Object Paris fair in particular, we found a few perfect and very interesting examples to illustrate what we are talking about.
The first is the Milanese brand Mohebban, which has dedicated its research to carpets for years and this year presented them at PDW in a super contemporary key. The booth in fact hosts a series of rugs made by designers and artists hung on the walls as if they were real works of art. In fact, this new trend very often sees rugs used as tapestries and not as pieces of furniture to be placed on the floor. Guests at the Mohebban booth are designers Ilaria Franza, Miguel Ruguero, Elena Caponi and Studio Zero, founded by Anna Seminara and Maria Francesca Cicirelli. What they have in common is an elegant design, characterised by warm colours in the palette of beiges and greens, as well as refined execution. We are particularly struck by the one created by Ilaria Franza, which at first glance seems to recall an organic, vegetal form.

Tactile capsule collection, Ilaria Franza, Wool, bamboo silk, viscose, jute hand-knotted in India

The second booth that struck us was the one by Doing Goods, which was decidedly more colourful and bold. The barbie-pink walls of the booth house a series of animal-shaped rugs. They themselves call their accessories ‘imperfect and fun’, like this carpet installation that seems to enclose all the animals of Noah’s ark.

The rugs are back
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The rugs are back
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